The Chinese are now able to conduct the following types of operations all the way over into the Arabian Sea and are even getting around the Horn into the Atlantic.

Their UNREP capabilities and vessels are good,

What you see there is their answer to the USS San Anotnio LPD Calss with what they call the PLAN Yuzhao Class which is about the same displacement and performs the same functions (with their own LCAC's in a large well deck in the stern) as the San Anotinio Class, and their AEGIS-like Lanzhou DDG, which has their own new battle mangement system, PARs and VLS missile magazines like our Burke class.

The new Frigate back there, the Type 054A FFG, also sports VLS and may have cooperative engagement capabilities with the larger DDG.

That FFG is now quite a bit beeter than our or Perry frigates which have been defanged and have no medium to long range AAW capabilitiy since the single arm launcher has been removed on all of them, which also means their Harpoon missile capability was taken away. All they have now is a single 76mm gun, a single Phalanx 20mm CIWS, and their helos. So they can still perform decent ASW duties, but their multi-mission capabilities are pretty much gone.

12 posted on 06/15/2012 10:27:26 AM PDT by Jeff Head
(Freedom is not free, never has been, never will be (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))